Tar Creek Task Force plan suggests turn site into wildlife haven

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Oklahoma's top environmental official thinks turning 40 square miles of northeast Oklahoma into a wildlife haven would be a boon for one of the most economically depressed areas of the state.

Brian Griffin says not only would the plan rid the nation of one of its worst environmental disasters, it could also put Oklahoma on the map for hunters and fishermen.

Governor Keating's Tar Creek Superfund Task Force will soon present a plan to convert the area surrounding Picher, Commerce, Quapaw and Cardin into a system of wetlands, grasslands and lakes.

The plan would require the 1,800 residents in Picher and 126 residents in Cardin to move their communities.

Officials estimate the relocations and wetlands proposal would cost $250 million.

The task force recently reported that proposed fixes for Tar Creek could go has high as $20 billion.